Biopower and Public Health

This book explores the intersection between biopower and public health, analyzing how state strategies to protect collective health-such as quarantines, mandatory vaccinations, and preventive campaigns-can affect individual autonomy and human rights. Based on Michel Foucault’s concept of biopower, the work examines its historical evolution and its role in contemporary contexts such as the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the ethical tensions between collective well-being and personal freedom.The analysis addresses the impact of digital technologies on healthcare surveillance, highlighting opportunities and risks such as algorithmic discrimination, digital exclusion, and the dehumanization of healthcare. It also reflects on the future of biopower in the face of global challenges such as climate change, highlighting the importance of equity and ethical governance.With an accessible and critical approach, the book invites readers to reflect on how health policies affect their lives and to participate in building systems that are more just and respectful of human rights.